High power diode-pumped Nd:YAG regenerative amplifier for picosecond pulses

Abstract

We demonstrate regenerative amplification of 25-ps full width at half-maximum TEM00 pulses to ≳1 mJ at a 2-kHz repetition rate in a diode-pumped Nd:YAG system. The single pulse energy gain is 74 dB and operation at 5 kHz has delivered ≳3.5 W of average power at λ=1.064 μm. Gain narrowing and self-phase modulation cause significant spectral and temporal broadening, from 70 GHz and 12 ps to ∼100 GHz and 25 ps, respectively, for the shortest amplified pulses.